''Salix mucronata'' (commonly called the Cape silver willow or Safsaf willow) is a tall, graceful, Semi- Deciduous willow tree. It grows along riverbanks in South Africa, and is used for a wide range of traditional medicines.
The Cape willow is

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

(separate male and female trees).

Taxonomy

This variable-looking species was previously subdivided into a number of different species. These have now all been downgraded to just being

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of ''Salix mucronata''. These subspecies include: * ''S. m. hirsuta'' (silver willow) * ''S. m. mucronata'' (Safsaf willow) * ''S. m. woodii'' (flute willow) * ''S. m. capensis'' (small-leaved willow)

References

Plants used in traditional African medicine Trees of South Africa Trees of Mediterranean climate Flora of South Africa Afromontane flora mucronata {{Salicaceae-stub